Volleyball: Japan beats France in Nations League preliminary phase
Japan, last year's Nations League runner-up, won 25-23, 25-16, 25-19 at Chiba Port Arena, led by powerful kills from Yoshino Sato and Mayu Ishikawa.
Earlier on the opening day of the five-day Chiba leg, Brazil defeated Bulgaria, and Poland beat South Korea, leaving the two winners at 8-1 for the tournament.
The top seven finishers of the preliminary phase will join host Poland in the elimination round beginning July 23.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
a day ago
- Japan Today
Japan beats Turkey to reach Nations League women's semis
Japan captain Mayu Ishikawa (2nd from R) celebrates with teammates after winning a point against Turkey during their Nations League women's volleyball quarterfinal match in Lodz, Poland, on July 24, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Volleyball World)(Photo not for sale)(Kyodo) ==Kyodo volleyball Japan advanced to the Nations League women's volleyball semifinals by defeating Turkey three sets to two on Thursday in Lodz, Poland. The Japanese, who finished runner-up to Italy at last year's Nations League, won 25-21, 16-25, 25-20, 22-25, 15-9, with captain Mayu Ishikawa leading the way with a team-high 19 points. "We were able to attack aggressively as our head coach always tells us," Ishikawa said. "We often found ourselves in tough situations because of poor serve-receptions. But we helped each other with clutch spikes and good defense." Melissa Teresa Vargas scored a match-high 22 points for Turkey. Japan will next play Brazil on Saturday for a spot in the final. © KYODO
Japan Times
a day ago
- Japan Times
Spain sets sights on England to chase elusive European crown
Spain's remarkable run in international competitions reaches another high on Sunday when it takes on England in the final at the Women's Euros in Basel, playing in its first European decider in only its fifth appearance at the tournament. The reigning world and Nations League champions will be looking for a repeat of its defeat of England in the 2023 World Cup final as it seeks to add the European crown to its trophy cabinet. "Now we'll start looking at England more closely, although our analysts have already been watching them live and studying their performance in this Euro," Spain coach Montse Torme told reporters after her side's 1-0 semifinal win over Germany on Wednesday. "We're going to dive deeper into their game, and we're going all-in." For all its dominance in recent years, Spain is still a relative newcomer at the top table in women's soccer, and its only previous visit to the semifinals at the Euros was in 1997. It followed that up with quarterfinal exits in 2013, 2017 and 2022. By contrast, Germany, whom it had never beaten at a major tournament before Wednesday, won the tournament five times since 1997. "It's an incredible joy to be in the final, to have beaten Germany for the first time — a great team. I think we knew how to compete in this match. I'm very happy for the players, the staff, and everything we are building here in Switzerland," Torme said. For long-serving captain Irene Paredes, success at the Euros is another welcome milestone in her side's progress toward being the kind of dominant team the Germans once were. "It's incredible. We're making history," she told reporters. "This is what we wanted. It's been tough, but we're in the final."
Japan Today
13-07-2025
- Japan Today
Liverpool honors 'champion' Jota in return to action at Preston
soccer By Kieran CANNING Diogo Jota was hailed "a champion" on Sunday by Liverpool manager Arne Slot as the Reds returned to the field for the first time since the Portuguese's death by beating Preston 3-1 in a pre-season friendly. Father of three Jota died alongside his brother Andre Silva on July 3, 11 days after marrying his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, after their car came off the road and burst into flames in northern Spain. A rendition of Liverpool's anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone" was played before kick-off at Deepdale and Preston captain Ben Whiteman laid a wreath in front of the away supporters. A minute's silence was then observed and both teams wore black armbands. "I think what I take comfort in is that in the last month of his life he was a champion in everything," Slot said in an interview ahead of the match. "A champion for his family, which is the main and most important thing, because he got married. A champion for his country because he won the Nations League with a country that he cared about so much, because he also wore the flag when we had celebrations. "And of course a champion for us by winning the Premier League." Mohamed Salah was among the Liverpool starting line-up and captain for the day as Virgil van Dijk was left out of the playing squad but was still in attendance. Three of the players who travelled to Gondomar, just outside Porto, for Jota's funeral last weekend, Conor Bradley, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo scored the goals in Liverpool's first steps back towards normality. Multiple renditions of Jota's song, proclaiming him to be better than Portugal legend Figo, were belted out by the Liverpool support before a ball was even kicked. In the crowd, flags emblazoned with "forever our number 20" paid tribute to the man who died aged just 28. Liverpool announced on Friday that the club will retire Jota's number 20 in his memory. "It's just hit the city hard," said Liverpool fan and security officer Thomas McAllister, 48. "Once a Liverpool player you become part of the family and we take you to our hearts. It's like someone in the family has died." Last week Slot and his wife joined several players in attending the tributes that have appeared to Jota and his brother outside Anfield. "We will always carry him with us in our hearts, in our thoughts, wherever we go," added Slot. Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and defenders Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez made their Liverpool debuts as Slot named two entirely different sides for each half. Liverpool had spent big in the transfer market prior to Jota's passing, breaking the club's record fee for Florian Wirtz as well as recruiting Frimpong and Kerkez in a bid to retain the Premier League title. "It must be devastating for his family, his team-mates but I think it will really unite and galvanise them to try and win the league for him," said another supporter Diggy Anderson, 60. © 2025 AFP
